


Admirer

by quiet__tiger



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Drama, Gen, Minor Violence, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 05:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10713375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Dick's life is a movie cliché. He's far from amused.





	Admirer

**Author's Note:**

> High school Dick Grayson.
> 
> Prompt: "Valentine."
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal 12th-Feb-2009.

Dick should have suspected a trap. Really, who actually sends notes as a secret admirer anymore? The second he opened that pink heart tucked inside his locker, he should have known something was wrong.

But he was distracted and wired on too much chocolate and conversation hearts, and was intrigued by the thought of a girl liking him but being too afraid to say so.

Usually he had the opposite problem. Girls were always all over him because he was cute and in good shape and friendly. So the idea of a girl wanting to lure him into a private location to talk to him face to face made him curious.

 _Stupid_.

Now he was surrounded with what he guessed were the popular kids. Some jocks, a cheerleader, class president. From what he could gather they’d all come down to the school basement to meet their secret admirer, only to be knocked out and tied up in a storage room.

It was so cliché he wanted to laugh. Or cry. Definitely kick himself.

Valentine’s Day was a Saturday this year, so tonight was Friday the thirteenth. Ironic. Whoever their captor was, he had picked an unlucky day to sign his admission to juvenile hall, which was surely where he’d go when Dick and everyone else was rescued.

Whenever that would be. It was Friday, so it was unlikely any of them were due home soon. Looking around again, Dick realized none of his fellow prisoners were on a sports team or in a club that played or met tonight. Whoever lured them there and tied them all up was looking smarter by the minute. No one would be looking for any of them for a while.

Swallowing around the dry air and glad none of them were gagged, Dick asked, “Do any of you know what’s going on?”

The captain of the football team, Joe Williams, glared at him. “We’ve been kidnapped, Grayson. What the hell does it look like?”

“I meant specifics, like who would do this, and why.”

Lisa Tarelli, head of the largest social clique of rich girls, glared at Joe. “God, Joe, why do you have to be such an ass?”

“Stupid questions deserve stupid answers.”

Rolling his eyes slightly, Dick resumed analyzing their cell. Boxes and shelves of what could only be described as “junk” lined the walls. There was no reason for anyone to look here any time soon. He started to wish he’d taken up Bruce’s offer of putting a tracking device in his shoe. Then he’d have hope. As it was, it looked like it was up to Robin, incognito as he was, to save the day.

Just a typical afternoon for Dick Grayson.

“Door locked?”

Lisa rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, “ _No_.” Why Lisa was Queen Bee of the school, Dick couldn’t figure out. Sometimes she was just a downright cruel individual.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door behind Dick opened. He couldn’t move before a girl was thrown onto the floor. A boy knelt next to her and tied her hands. He was quick enough that Dick didn’t get a chance to move before he was back out the door. Executing a flying leap with a flip at the end with his hands tied probably wouldn’t be the best move with the other students around, anyway.

Door shut again, Dick hissed, “Anyone recognize him?”

Five pairs of eyes either narrowed in thought or looked to the side, then five heads shook in the negative.

“Well, hell.” It was then Dick recognized the new girl. “Sandy.” Dick got to his feet to nudge her with one. “Wake up.” Sandy rolled over, then scooted away with a look of fright. “I didn’t do this to you. See? I’m tied up, too.” He turned around so she could see his hands.

“What’s going on?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

Joe sneered. “Dick’s taking charge, like usual.”

Frowning, Dick said, “Well, you’re the captain of the football team. You can take charge if you want. Though we all might have more faith if you were over .500 for the season.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“Both of you shut up.” Erin Delaney was head cheerleader, so Dick was used to hearing the sound of her voice. She didn’t seem too peppy now, though. “Look, obviously whatever’s going on has something to do with us specifically. Joe, myself, Lisa, we’re all at the top of the food chain, so to speak.” Her eyes narrowed as if daring any of them to argue. “Sandy is captain of the tennis team, Rory over there, still unconscious, is just plain hot and popular.” She frowned. “Not too hot with the drool, though.”

She shrugged a shoulder towards Logan Grant and Mark Jenner. “Class president. Manwhore everyone likes.” She turned back towards Dick. “And Gotham’s junior playboy. So what are we all doing here?”

Pacing, Dick offered, “Someone wants us out of the way. Stupid to put us all together, though.” While he paced, he surreptitiously worked at the ropes binding his wrists. They weren’t all that tight, but they weren’t poorly tied, either.

Joe opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, the door opened one more time and another girl was thrown to the ground. This time it was another rich girl, Marci Woziak. She was pretty and Dick had thought of asking her out once or twice, but she seemed like high maintenance.

This time their captor stayed after tying up Marci. He was an average seventeen-year-old boy, from what Dick could tell. Light brown hair, brown eyes, average build. Skin was okay but not as clear as anyone else’s in the room. He was dressed almost identically to Dick, but his clothes most likely didn’t cost anywhere near as much.

Looking around the room, it was obvious everyone else in the room felt as confused as Dick did. Who was this kid?

The kid finally spoke. “You’re probably wondering what you’re all doing here.”

Joe snorted. “You could say that. I mean, other than getting ready to kick your ass.”

The kid smiled. “Such bravado. I was expecting it, yet it still amuses me. Especially since I’m the one with the power.”

Joe rolled his eyes and stood. “I’ll show you power.” Joe lurched towards the kid, who simply walked away and picked up a bottle of hydrochloric acid from a shelf. The kid opened the bottle, and everyone wrinkled their noses at the smell. “Come closer. We’ll see how popular you are after I burn away half your face.”

Dick flinched as an image of Two Face popped into his head. The kid turned towards him. “What about you, Grayson? We’ll see how many girls ask you out without your stunning smile.”

“You think I’m stunning?”

“Not usually.” The kid sneered. “All of you. You all think you’re so great, and everyone else reinforces that belief. Gotham’s, America’s future, with your toothpaste commercial smiles and your dates every Friday and Saturday night.”

Logan finally spoke. “Is that what this is about? You’re jealous? That we’re popular and you’re not?”

“It’s everything! All of that, and the way it’s obvious none of you have any idea who I am.”

Lisa scowled. “Well, who the hell are you?”

“I’m no one!”

By this time Dick was guessing that whoever this kid was, his head wasn’t screwed on too tightly. He wondered how easily he could get the bottle of acid out of the kid’s hands, and if there was a risk of the stuff inside splashing onto anyone.

As Dick thought, the kid continued to rant. “I’ve been in classes with three of you! Joe, you shoved me into a locker once when I got in your way. Logan, I sat at your lunch table three times and you didn’t notice. Lisa, you’ve let the door slam into my face more times than I can count. Rory--” He stopped talking, then went over to give Rory a shove with his foot. “Well, I guess I hit Rory too hard. But he almost ran me over when I was in a crosswalk and he ran the light. That stupid blue sports car with the stripe.” He looked around again. “All of you, thinking you’re better than me, ignoring me, hurting me! I can’t get a girl to look at me, and all of you either have the girls or are the girls who never notice me.”

He paused again, and as he looked into Dick’s eyes Dick could see how crazy this kid was. Yet another kid destroyed by the high school social hierarchy and the fact of being too average. But instead of finding something constructive with which to work through his frustration, he was taking it out on people who never did anything to him. At least, not intentionally. Well, except for Joe.

“And you, Grayson.” Dick tried not to flinch; he’d faced crazier foes before. But none of them were this personal. “You’re just _too_ perfect. You have it all. And to make it worse, you’re even a nice guy. Maybe we could have been friends, if you bothered to notice me.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever met. I’m good with names and faces.”

The unhappy face darkened even further. “My best friend has a crush on you. She’ll never see me so long as you’re her focus.”

“That’s not fair! We really haven’t even met!”

“Fair? I’ll show you fair!” Time ran out as Dick realized the kid was going to splash the acid in his face. He ducked and head-butted the kid in the stomach, causing the kid to fall backwards over Sandy’s leg. It also caused the acid to splash onto Dick’s back. It burned through his sweater and undershirt, but then Erin ripped both off of him.

The sound of coughing filled the room as the acid’s vapors filled the air. Blinking through his tears, Dick watched as Logan kicked the bottle away from the kid, and Joe slammed their captor’s head to the floor with a body check, knocking him out. Cool air filled the room as Lisa opened the door.

Ropes weakened by the acid, Dick freed his hands and helped everyone escape. Well, he helped Mark drag Rory through the door. The kid really had gotten quite the blow to the head. Everyone else got out on his or her own.

Before anyone could speak, or even catch his or her breath, the basement’s exhaust fan turned on, and a shadow dropped to the floor. Batman growled, “What’s going on here?”

Screeching, Lisa answered, “That creepy kid kidnapped us! He was going to scar us! Me! Scarred!” Dick could tell Batman was biting back a Remark.

“He’s a little, um, deranged, sir.” Logan, always diplomatic. “He’s jealous of us guys and angry at the girls. It’s like a bad movie.”

Batman looked around, eyes settling on Dick. There was worry there, Dick could tell even through the lenses. “Are you okay? Police and medics are on the way, but do you need to be rushed somewhere?”

Dick realized he was half naked, and crossed his arms over his chest, then winced as the movement stretched the slightly burned skin on his back. “I’m fine. You need to check out Rory, he’s hurt.” Batman nodded.

~*~

Three hours later everyone was treated for acid burns and inhalation as needed, and statements were taken. Jerome Sullivan was taken to the police station, where he would surely be deemed Arkham material. Dick had a feeling he’d be seeing him in a few years, dressed in a goofy costume and wielding a ridiculous gimmick.

It wasn’t a happy feeling.

Back at the Mansion, Alfred was waiting on Dick hand and foot, and Robin would not be patrolling tonight, as per Batman’s orders. Flipping through muted TV channels as Bruce flipped through a book, Dick finally asked, “How’d you know where I was?”

Without looking at him, Bruce answered, “Tracking device.”

“In my shoe?”

Bruce shook his head. “No.”

Dick was afraid to ask where it was, so he changed topics. “I have a date tomorrow.” Bruce looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “That’s why Jerome did what he did. We all have dates, and he didn’t. He was jealous.”

“He was insane.”

“Is that normal?” It was a stupid question even as he asked it; Dick knew how lucky he was that Jerome only took out his anger on the select few kids he was angry at, rather than the whole school, and that he only had a bottle of acid, and not a gun. “I could have died. Because of a jealous kid.”

“Jealous and ignored. Is that better or worse than a supervillain?”

“It’s different. With everything I’ve been through, I’ve never thought about regular people being a danger to me this personally.”

“Everyone has the potential for that kind of darkness. Most people handle it fine. Others succumb. Jerome succumbed. Others treat others poorly, like that Lisa girl.”

“Yeah, she’s a pain.” Hot, but a pain in the ass.

“You’ve managed to grow up and balance yourself. That’s why you were in that room.”

“Yeah.” The room grew quiet as they each contemplated that statement. Dick knew Bruce had an unofficial Valentine’s date with Selina the next night, and that he would be patrolling afterwards. Was Bruce balanced? Quick answer, obviously not, if the existence of the Batsuit was any indication. But he fought for the side of good, and helped Dick do the same.

As for Dick, he planned to take more notice of his fellow students, the ones he saw every day, and the ones he saw every day but never really saw at all. Not everyone needed a date on Valentine’s Day, but a simple hello might mean just as much.


End file.
